The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling arrayed components that feeds arrayed components composed of a plurality of components in array, and more particularly, relates to a method and apparatus for handling arrayed components including a feeding method and device of arrayed components, a transfer device with use of the feeding device, and a housing device. More specifically, the present invention relates to, for example, a method and device for feeding arrayed semiconductor elements so that a number of diced semiconductor elements arrayed in vertical and horizontal direction are picked up one by one, a transfer device for transferring picked-up semiconductor elements to other places, and a housing device for housing the picked-up semiconductor elements in various housing members in specified packing styles. One example of the semiconductor elements includes an individual IC chip separated by dicing from a semiconductor wafer with a plurality of integrated circuits formed.
A semiconductor wafer is fabricated to have a number of semiconductor elements arrayed in vertical and horizontal direction. Each semiconductor element is subjected to processings such as checking of defective products and marking thereof, and then separated by dicing processing for enabling individual handling. Each semiconductor element is arrayed orderly and densely on a dicing sheet. In order to ensure swift pickup of each of the semiconductor elements one by one for enabling various handling such as transfer to other places or housing, in the past as shown in FIG. 18, the semiconductor elements have been collectively handled by a supporting body 106 supporting the semiconductor elements with held on the dicing sheet. With a movement of the supporting body 106 at a specified position in X and Y two orthogonal array directions of each semiconductor element, the semiconductor elements are sequentially moved to a pickup position where a push-up pin is provided to aid pickup operation by pushing the semiconductor element up from the lower side, and after semiconductor elements are separated from each other through expanding of the dicing sheet and pushed up from the lower side by the push-up pin, the semiconductor elements are subjected to pickup operation by a component handling tool 103.
Consequently, in pickup operation, one semiconductor element at the pickup position is in the state separated from other semiconductor elements and pushed up higher than other surrounding semiconductor elements, which enables the component handling tool 103 to sufficiently execute pickup operation such as suction targeting the sole semiconductor element without being bothered by surrounding semiconductor elements or causing displacement of surrounding semiconductor elements, thereby achieving swift and secure pickup of the semiconductor element.
The sizes of semiconductor wafers are becoming larger for further increase of efficiency in manufacturing and handling of semiconductor elements. Large wafer has a diameter as large as about 200 mm. In the future, there is expected a wafer having a diameter as large as about 300 mm. However, in manufacturing of semiconductor elements, since all individual diced semiconductor elements put on the supporting body 106 are handled with pickup operation in the above-stated method, a travel distance necessary for the supporting body 106 to bring all individual semiconductor elements to the position of the push-up pin provided in a specified position, i.e., the pickup position, corresponds to a diameter of a semiconductor wafer both in two X and Y directions, i.e., the size of a region that the supporting body 106 supports the semiconductor elements, the necessary plane space of which is twice the diameter of the semiconductor wafer both in X and Y directions as shown in FIG. 18. As a result, an apparatus for handling semiconductor wafers having a large diameter and picking up diced semiconductor elements as shown above has larger plane space by necessity.
Larger-sized apparatuses cause not only increased cost of the apparatuses themselves, but also causes higher running cost in heating and electricity of a clean room in which the apparatuses are used, which, in one example, equals as high as 30 million yen a month in the case of a clean room with area of 600 m2, bringing about a serious new issue of increased occupied area of the apparatus.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and device for feeding arrayed components and a method and apparatus for handling arrayed components using the method and device for feeding arrayed components capable of handling all the arrayed components in pickup operation within a movement range of a supporting body against the size of a region for supporting arrayed components subject to pickup operation such as diced semiconductor elements smaller than that in the prior art.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is structured as described below.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions, comprising: moving each component supported on a supporting body in a state of being arrayed in two orthogonal directions to a pickup position in sequence with a movement of the supporting body in the two component array directions, and making the components subjected to pickup operation by a component handling tool, wherein each unit region set by dividing a component supporting region of the supporting body about an approximately central position of the supporting body into a plurality of regions is positioned at a pickup standby position by rotation of the supporting body about the approximately central position of the supporting body in a switching manner; and
after each unit region is positioned at the pickup standby position, positioning each component in the positioned unit region to the pickup position in sequence with a movement of the supporting body in the two component array directions, and subjected to pickup operation in sequence.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions as defined in Claim 1, wherein the component is subjected to the pickup operation by the component handling tool with push-up operation by a push-up pin involved, and after each unit region is positioned at the pickup standby position, the component in the positioned unit region is moved to the pickup position in sequence with a relative movement of the supporting body, the pickup position, and the push-up pin in the two component array directions, and subjected to the pickup operation in sequence to feed the arrayed components arrayed in the two component array directions.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions as defined in Claim 1, wherein the component is subjected to the pickup operation by the component handling tool with push-up operation by a push-up pin involved, and when the component is subjected to the pick-up operation,
further comprising corresponding each unit region set by dividing a component supporting region of the supporting body about an approximately central position of the supporting body into a plurality of regions to the pickup position and the push-up pin, and
after the pickup position and the push-up pin are corresponded to each unit region, moving components in the unit region corresponding to the pickup position and the push-up pin in sequence to the pickup position with a relative movement of the pickup position and the push-up pin, and the supporting body in the two component array directions, and making the components subjected to pickup operation in sequence to feed the arrayed components arrayed in the two component array directions.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components as defined in any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the unit region is a quarter region divided by an angle of 90 degrees.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components, comprising:
a component receiving section for receiving and holding a supporting body which supports components arrayed in two orthogonal directions;
a receiving section rotating device for rotating the component receiving section about an approximately central position of the received supporting body, and for positioning each unit region of a plurality of regions set by dividing a component supporting region of the supporting body about the approximately central position of the supporting body into the regions at a pickup standby position about the approximately central position of the supporting body in a switching manner; and
a two-direction moving device that moves the component receiving section in the two component array directions and moves the components in a unit region positioned at the pickup standby position on the supporting body to the pickup position in sequence for making the components, subjected to pickup operation by a component handling tool.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the fifth aspect, further comprising a component transfer device for picking up the component moved to the pickup position with use of the component handling tool and transferring the same to other places.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the fifth or sixth aspect, further comprising:
a component housing section which makes it possible to handle the component in a packing style as being received in a component housing member for next-step handling; and
a component transfer device for picking up the component positioned at the pickup position with use of the component handling tool and transferring the same to the component housing member in the component housing section.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, further comprising:
an identifying device for imaging the component at the pickup position and performing image recognition;
a reference position switching device for switching reference of position recognition by the identifying device after a unit region at the pickup standby position is switched with rotation of the supporting body by the receiving section rotating device.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the seventh or eighth aspect, comprising:
a tool rotating device for rotating the component handling tool about a center of the component to be picked up thereby; and
a control unit for controlling the tool rotating device so as to correct a direction of the component picked up by the component handling tool through rotation of the component handling tool by the tool rotating device after a unit region located at the pickup standby position is switched with rotation of the supporting body by the receiving section rotating device.
According to a 10th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for housing arrayed components as defined in the eighth aspect, comprising a control unit for controlling operation of the component housing section and the component handling tool so that the component housing section can provide a plurality of component housing members side by side, and a plurality of the component housing members are separately used properly depending on a type of the component picked up by the component handling tool and identified by the identifying device for transfer and housing operation.
According to an 11th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the tenth aspect, wherein the type of the component is quality rank defined by electric characteristics and frequency characteristics of each component.
According to a 12th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 11th aspect, wherein one of the types of the components is a defective product, and the control unit controls operation of the component handling tool so that the component handling tool disposes a component identified by the identifying device as a defective product in a disposal section.
According to a 13th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in any one of the seventh to 12th aspects, wherein the component housing member is a tape member.
According to a 14th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in any one of the fifth to 13th aspects, wherein the unit region is a quarter region divided at an angle of 90 degrees.
According to a 15th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in any one of the fifth to 13th aspects, wherein the unit region is a half region divided at an angle of 180 degree.
According to a 16th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components that transfers the arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions, comprising:
feeding a supporting body that supports a plurality of components in a state of being arrayed in the two orthogonal directions to a component feeding position;
moving each component in sequence to a pickup position with a movement of the supporting body at the component feeding position in the two component array directions;
picking up the component moved to the pickup position with use of the component handling tool; and
transferring the picked-up component to a component transfer target position set to be laid over a top of the supporting body with use of the component handling tool.
According to a 17th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components as defined in the first aspect that transfers the arrayed components arrayed in the two component array direction, comprising:
picking up the component moved to the pickup position with use of the component handling tool; and
transferring the picked-up component to a component transfer target position set to be laid over a top of the supporting body with use of the component handling tool.
According to an 18th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling arrayed components as defined in the first or 17th aspects, wherein the component picked up with use of the component handling tool is transferred with front side and back side of the component inverted.
According to a 19th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components, comprising:
a component receiving section for receiving and holding a supporting body that supports a plurality of components in a state of being arrayed in two orthogonal directions;
a two-direction moving device that moves the component receiving section in the two component array directions for moving the components to the pickup position in sequence;
a component housing section disposed at a position to be laid over a top of the component receiving section; and
a component transfer device for picking up the component and transferring the same to the component housing section whenever the component is moved to the pickup position
According to a 20th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 19th aspect,
wherein the component housing section is disposed in a plurality of rows at a position to be laid over the top of the component receiving section, and
the component transfer device picks up the component and transfers the same to each component housing section whenever the component is moved to the pickup position.
According to a 21st aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the sixth aspect, further comprising a component housing section disposed at a position to be laid over a top of the component receiving section,
wherein the component transfer device picks up the component and transfers the same to the component housing section whenever the component is moved to the pickup position.
According to a 22nd aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 21st aspect,
wherein the component housing section is disposed in a plurality of rows at a position to be laid over the top of the component receiving section, and
the component transfer device picks up the component and transfers the same to each component housing section whenever the component is moved to the pickup position.
According to a 23rd aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in any one of the 19th to 22nd aspects, further comprising a front-back inverting device disposed between the transfer device and the component housing section, for selectively performing operation of receiving the component from the transfer device, inverting front side and back side of the component, and housing the component in the component housing section.
According to a 24th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 20th or 22nd aspect, further comprising a second component transfer device for receiving the component from the transfer device and separately transferring the component to the component housing section provided in a plurality of rows.
According to a 25th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 20th or 22nd aspect, further comprising a front-back inverting device for receiving the component from the component transfer device, moving to the component housing section provided in a plurality of rows, and separately transferring the component with front side and back side thereof inverted to each component housing section.
According to a 26th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 20th or 22nd aspect, wherein a concave section of each component housing section disposed in a plurality of the rows is moved to a transfer target position on the component receiving section, and the component is transferred to the concave section of the component housing section moved to the transfer target position by the component transfer device.
According to a 27th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 20th or 22nd aspect, wherein based on data identifying respective division of each component arrayed on the supporting body, each component of respective division is transferred to a plurality of the component housing sections disposed by division of each component.
According to a 28th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the sixth aspect, the components being a plurality of semiconductor elements separated from a semiconductor wafer by dicing, further comprising:
a component feeding section for housing a supporting body that supports the component in a state of being arrayed in the two orthogonal directions and feeding the same to a feeding position;
a taping packaging section for housing the semiconductor elements in array in an extending direction of the tape member and performing taping packaging; and
a front-back inverting device disposed between the component transfer device and the taping packaging section, for selectively performing operation of receiving the semiconductor element from the component transfer device, inverting front side and back side of the semiconductor element, and housing the component in the taping packaging section,
wherein the component receiving section receives and holds the supporting body extracted from the component feeding section,
the two-direction moving device moves the component receiving section in the two component array directions for moving the semiconductor element in sequence to a pickup position, and
the component transfer device picks up the semiconductor element and transfers the same in sequence to the taping packaging section whenever the semiconductor element is moved to the pickup position.
According to a 29th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 28th aspect, wherein the taping packaging section is disposed at a position to be laid over a top of the component receiving section.
According to a 30th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in the 28th or 29th aspect, wherein based on data identifying each semiconductor element disposed in array on the semiconductor wafer by quality rank defined by electric characteristics and frequency characteristics of each semiconductor element, each semiconductor element of respective quality rank is transferred to a plurality of taping packaging sections disposed by quality rank.